Long Past Midnight
by I hart Booth
Summary: He will always come back for her, just like no one else ever has. BB fo' sho!


_**This is one of my only oneshots that isn't a song fic. I hope you like!!**_

_He's leaving…he's really leaving…_

Temperance watched her brother shove his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket and walk down the sidewalk toward his rusty '78 Camero. His blue jeans were shredding at the bottom and bunched up over the tops of his black boots.

_God he's cool._

Russ turned around when he got to his car and leaned on the door.

_This is the right thing. This is what's best for her._

Russ stared through his longish brown hair at his little sister. Fifteen years old, although she looked more like twelve, almost personifying vulnerability. Skinny and tall she had her arms wrapped around herself, glaring at him with the same harsh look she'd been giving him for three months. Her blue eyes seemed almost cold now and he shuddered.

That's what bothered him most. He wanted to believe his sister would be okay, she could take care of herself. But he truly wondered if she would ever regain the warmth of her smile, the openness in her eyes. He wanted to believe she would…if the right person ever came around.

The right person he wasn't. Russ Brennan knew that much. He bit his lip.

"Marco."

Temperance's eyes flickered with pain and she blinked hard before she turned and looked away, refusing, for the first time in her life, to answer his call.

Russ sighed and climbed into his car. The engine turned over once, twice, three times and jumped to life. The social worker made eye contact with him and nodded.

I'm doing the right thing for you Tempe. I love you.

He pulled away from the curb.

Goodbye.

Temperance heard Russ' car pull away and saw the cloud of dust dissolve as it drove down their quiet suburban street.

"Russ?"

The social worker at her left reached for her shoulder and she turned away from it.

"Russ?!"

Temperance bolted off the porch and ran down the walkway, stopping abruptly at the curb as if the street would swallow her whole if she stepped down onto it.

"Russ! You can't leave me Russ! You can't leave me here!" Tears spilled down her cheeks as her screams turned into sobs and she sank to the ground.

"You can't…you just can't you can't…" She whispered over and over as sunlight danced through the trees. Sunlight that warmed the street and sang with the birds. Sunlight that had no idea someone's world was falling apart around her.

Brennan sat straight up in bed as the tears she thought she'd finished shedding fifteen years before spilled down her cheeks anew. The sheets were bunched up in her tight fists and she felt her chest heave for breath.

She looked at her phone, but didn't reach for it. She knew it would go straight to his voice mail.

Booth would have to call her.

She curled into a ball and pulled the sheets up to her chin and stared at her alarm clock.

3:42am

It had been 12 days, 3 hours and 26 minutes since she'd last seen him. 21 hours and 44 minutes since she'd last spoken to him.

Brennan sighed and stared at the clock as tears flowed unhindered out of the corners of her eyes. Waiting for daylight.

_I need you Seeley. Where are you?_

She hugged her pillow tighter and closed her eyes.

Just then her phone began to vibrate softly on her nightstand.

Her eyes shot open and she snatched the device off the table.

"Hey Beautiful."

She drew in a ragged breath at the sound of his voice and her tears started again, this time out of thankfulness.

"Bones?" He heard her breath, ragged and uneven on the other end and his heart sped up.

"Temperance? Are you alright?"

"I'm here." Brennan closed her eyes, she could practically see him pacing on the other end of the phone.

"Have you been crying?" He hated these undercover assignments and this was the very reason why. He couldn't be there when she needed him.

"Yes." She stated hoarsely.

Booth winced. "What's the matter?"

Brennan just sighed again.

"Bones, talk to me."

"When will you be back?" Her voice was tight with tears and it squeezed a few from his heart.

"Soon baby, real soon." Booth took a deep breath and glanced at his watch, realizing how late it was.

"Was it a nightmare?"

Brennan nodded. "Yes." She never ceased to marvel at how well he knew her. "The one where Russ is leaving me in foster care. Not a nightmare per se since it really happened. It just…it shook me up, ya know?"

"You're okay now, alright? Everything's going to be fine." He wanted nothing more than to hold her in that moment.

She sat hugging her knees now, rocking back and forth, listening to the sound of his breathing.

"I'll be there soon Bones."

She opened her eyes. She'd just heard the sound of a banging door and now the sound of keys jangling played softly in her ears.

"Booth? Where are you?" She asked, hoping beyond hope that she was right.

She could hear his smile in his voice.

"Front door."

Brennan sucked in her breath, dropped her phone and launched herself out of the bed. In bare feet and one of Booth's large t-shirts she bolted for the door. It swung open and without hesitation she jumped up into his arms.

"Booth!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest and he held her tight to him. He kissed her forehead and walked to the couch to sit down.

She gripped his jacket like it was her last saving grace and cried onto his shirt.

Cried because he was there. Cried because she wasn't alone. Cried because he came back to her.

Booth rocked her slowly in his lap, glad his timing seemed to be right.

"You're alright, Temperance. Everything's fine. I'm here. Right here." Booth whispered over and over to her ear as he stroked her long auburn hair. Brennan nodded as the tears began to subside.

She looked up at him and sniffed.

"Thank you."

"For what Bones?" He smiled down at her and one of his hands continued to rub her back soothingly.

"For…because even when you leave you always come back." She shook her head and kissed him gently.

"No one has ever done that before."

Booth nodded and clutched her tightly to his chest.

"I'll always come back for you Bones. Always."

_**So I happen to be a shipper who just loves happy endings and fairy tales and love and all that mushy crap...I also love BB comfort...so that was that. If you read it and feel like dropping a line...feel free. There's a button right there that you can push...go ahead...see what happens...**_


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